Oscar - Chelsea's new 'number 10'

The first player of my series where I talk about attacking midfielders is based on Oscar - Chelsea's new 'number 10' according to Jose Mourinho, which has obviously come as a shock to Chelsea fans because they expected Juan Mata to keep his place especially after the season he had.

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Why is the Number 10 role so important?

This is actually quite a new phenomenon, or at least it's importance is new. In the past the 'number 10' has usually been the secondary striker, or in more simple terms, the player that plays behind the striker. Dennis Bergkamp was a famous 'number 10' and one of the best. Henry was the player that played beyond him with Dennis instigating most attacks. However, these 'number 10's' could also play as the main striker if needs be. In this day and age, the 'number 10' role is often played by the attacking midfielder. So a few current examples are Mesut Ozil, Juan Mata and David Silva. They will still instigate most attacks but will not be a replacement striker.

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Is talk of a Mourinho ‘demise’ far too premature?

For six months, abuse was hurled down at Rafa Benitez with Chelsea voicing their discontent at the appointment of the Spanish and former Liverpool manager. A torrid end at Anfield, despite winning the Champions league, was seen as the probable end of Benitez in England.

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Is Juan Mata worthy of a starting place at Chelsea? The statistics

Since the return of Jose Mourinho it has seemed like Juan Mata has been frozen out of the Chelsea side. It is something that has bemused fans all across the world.

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3 reasons why talk of Jose Mourinho's demise is premature

It is fascinating to see how a string of one or two poor results can set alarm bells ringing and all of a sudden knees start jerking and someone gets fired. I'm not saying Chelsea's Jose Mourinho will be getting fired anytime soon, but the way in which some fans are reacting to his team's 2-1 loss in the Champions League on Wednesday you'd think that's exactly what they want.

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5 marquee signings Arsenal should make in January

We've barely finished the summer transfer window and already rumours are flying around suggesting that Arsene Wenger has been given permission to sign one big name player in January. The press have already linked us with Marco Reus, Ilkay Gundogan and Lars Bender. However, they seemed very unlikely in the summer so think about the response in January when it becomes even harder to sign players. Nevertheless, it's fun to speculate about who Arsenal could sign. The five players, however unrealistic they are, must not be taken as an actual transfer rumour. Having said that, Arsenal have probably been linked with all of them at some point. As is the norm with the Gunners.

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Where Does Juan Mata Stand At Chelsea?

Manchester United and Chelsea played out a boring and somewhat uneventful Premier League match at Old Trafford on Monday night. Despite the eneventful 90 minutes, there were two aspects that intereseted me; the first was that Wayne Rooney started and played quite decently, and the second was that Juan Mata was once again overlooked by Jose Mourinho. What is going on with the little Spaniard, and has Mourinho already taken a dislike to Chelsea's Player of the Season for the last two years?

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Arsenal should play to their strengths - a tactical look at the Gunners

Whilst the Gonzalo Higuain story continues to rumble on, and the Argentine appears no closer to a move to the Emirates than he did about a month ago, what type of formation will Arsene Wenger use this season, regardless of whether the club manages to sign the striker or not?

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The Wayne Rooney saga rumbles on but the end is in sight.

Jose Mourinho's public declaration of his desire to sign Wayne Rooney has now made it the summer's biggest story as Manchester United apparently rejected Chelsea's £20m bid for the disgruntled striker.

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Chelsea's considerable attacking threat - where do they fit in? (Video)

With the confirmed signing of Andre Schurrle from Bayer Leverkusen for £18m, how will Jose Mourinho balance all the attacking talent at his disposal and who will be left out of his plans?

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Chelsea favourite on the move?

For a key cog in the creative hub of Chelsea's front-line, one could be forgiven for scoffing at the notion that Juan Mata may well be on his way out of the London club. 

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The John Terry slip: Japanese style (Video)

During the 2011-2012 season Arsenal visited Stamford Bridge to play Chelsea in what turned out to be a thrilling eight goal classic.

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Top 3 Unsung heroes: defenders who’ve made the difference for their clubs

Branislav Ivanovic

His header right at the death helped Chelsea to their second consecutive European trophy. The honour of Chelsea’s Player of the Year may have gone to Juan Mata but there is no doubt as to how pivotal Ivanovic’s contributions have been to the West London club.

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The importance of Juan Mata

After the first 11 minutes of the FA Cup quarter final between Manchester United and Chelsea, with the score just gone 2-0 after Wayne Rooney's goal, it all looked pretty grim for Rafael Benitez and the Blues.

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Early Contenders for Player of the Season

With votes due to be cast by fellow professionals next month, we make an early prediction as to the likely nominees and contenders for the Premier League's best player this season.

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